Like a sweet post-battle melody, the wizarding world tries to guide its wounds towards healing, clinging to the fragile promise of a new equilibrium.
In the wake of the Battle of Hogwarts, ten years of calm have passed, giving the impression of a fr...
It was slowly getting dark at Hogwarts, and most of the students had already returned to their common rooms of in the Great Hall for diner.
I climbed out of the usual window and onto the roof. My hands were still a little sore from my fight with Dubois yesterday, but it wasn't the first time it had happened to me.
Unfortunately, I was used to this kind of pain, if not worse.
I straightened up, looking at Valentina's small silhouette, lit up by the last rays of the sun.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Even in this simple light, she was breathtaking, and I wondered how I hadn't realised it before.
I approached her, shoving my hands into my pockets to hide any trace of anxiety. I tried not to make too much noise so as not to startle her, but she soon heard me.
"The place is already taken," she said coldly, while reading a black book.
"I can see that," I replied, scratching my head, pretending to turn around and go somewhere else. "I'll go to the astronomy tower in that case.."
In fact, I'd spent the whole day looking for her, but I didn't want to give the impression that I was desperate.
"It's okay, the roof is big enough for both of us," she finally sighed, giving me a breather. I savoured this small victory inwardly.
I gently sat down next to her, making sure to leave some distance between us. My eyes were first drawn to her hands, which were holding the book, and then slid down to her face.
She seemed absorbed in her reading, and I was curious to know what she was so passionate about.
"Yes, Riddle?" she asked me without even looking up from her book, bringing me back to reality. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, realising that my gaze had been insistent.
I coughed to clear the embarrassment. "I just... wanted to apologise."
It was a difficult thing to do, I had to admit. Apologising wasn't something I was used to doing, but it was the only way I could find common ground with her.
Valentina remained unmoved by my excuse. "You broke my boyfriend's nose," she said simply.
"If I could, I'd have broken him a lot more than that," I retorted with a sneer. "And last time I checked, he's not your boyfriend any more."
She rolled her eyes at my remark. I couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt for what had happened the day before. I'd never seen Valentina in such a state, and the fact that I'd had anything to do with it disturbed me deeply.
"If it makes you feel any better, Theo beat the shit out of me afterwards," I finally admitted, remembering the punch I'd received from Theodore when he'd found out I'd been involved with Valentina.
